Conservation Impact Report Your Audubon Minnesota dollars make a difference July 2016 - June 2017 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 1 2 | AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT 2017 CONTENTS 4 Why Birds? 6 Kids in Conservation 8 River Conservation 12 Prairie and Grassland Conservation 14 Urban Conservation 15 Advocating for Conservation 17 Partnerships 19 Lights Out Building Participants 20 Audubon Chapters in Minnesota 21 Looking Ahead Great Blue Heron Cover: Belted Kingfisher 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 3 WHY BIRDS? WITH YOUR HELP Bird conservation is at the core of our efforts. We focus on birds and their Dear Friends, habitats through science, education, advocacy, and on-the-ground restoration. You are the reason we saved birds through our achievements Why birds? Birds are in nearly every ecosystem on the planet. They are this past year. In this Conservation Impact Report, you’ll pollinators, seed dispersers, predators, and prey. Within the network of see the progress that we have made as a result of your connections that makes up an ecosystem, birds are uniquely positioned to act contributions. We truly cannot thank you enough for your as an environmental mirror for the health of land and water. That means what’s support. good for birds is good for entire ecosystems, including people. If we have Together, we are restoring important habitat. We are to choose how to focus our time, energy, and resources in the face of ever- advancing local, state, and federal laws that make sense. We growing conservation challenges, starting with birds makes a lot of sense. are instilling a conservation ethic in our youth. We focus on birds because it’s smart conservation for the state we love. Your We have accomplished so much already and we are well- support saves Minnesota birds. positioned for future impact. Thanks to your help, we can renew the ongoing commitment to protect Minnesota’s waterbirds, songbirds, and other migratory birds that need our help. After all, everyone benefits from a legacy of healthy lands and waters. Thank you, Debbie Reynolds Audubon Minnesota Board Chair A boy holds the American White Pelican he crafted. In May 2017, he and more than 500 other Twin Cities students gathered to display art creations they made after learning about Minnesota’s birds, the habitat they need, and what the students can do to help. 4 | AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT 2017 A group of students jump in celebration after helping to spread nine acres of St. Croix Prep property with native wildflower seeds. 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA ANNUAL REPORT | 5 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 5 KIDS IN CONSERVATION Your support is helping to ensure that conservation is part of foundational education for kids in Minnesota. Audubon Minnesota strives to inspire positive change in the world by working with the next generation. When we invest in our kids, we are investing in the future of our natural resources. Audubon Minnesota engaged 1,700 K-12 students in conservation education and activities this year. Kids from across the state picked prairie seeds, planted native wildflowers, learned about the importance of clean water, and discovered how to help birds in a changing climate. This spring, hundreds of schoolchildren learned that birds need clean water and native habitat to survive. Through a series of in-classroom sessions, Audubon Minnesota taught kids the importance of clean water throughout the Mississippi River watershed using a combination of environmental education and arts learning activities. Students also learned how to take action and reduce the impacts of climate change. More than 1,100 students helped to seed and plant native plants on nine acres of school property. St. Croix Preparatory Academy in Stillwater joined with Audubon Minnesota and a host of community partners to engage the students, prepare the land, spread prairie seeds, and celebrate native plants as a resource for birds, bees, and butterflies. The restored prairie will act as an outdoor classroom for thousands of students at St. Croix Prep for many years to come. Urban teens were inspired by Minnesota’s birds and created a Mississippi Flyway mural in Minneapolis. Audubon Minnesota showed young artists pictures of our state’s waterbirds and talked about what the birds need to thrive, including native plants. They also talked about reducing the amount of pollution and trash swept into city storm drains. The mural shows how Twin Cities’ residents can help keep our water clean for birds, people, and entire ecosystems. The mural is located on a busy intersection where thousands of people will see it as they pass by and visit nearby businesses each year. 6 | AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT 2017 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 7 RIVER CONSERVATION Today, the Mississippi River and its floodplain forests are a narrow sliver of habitat in a sea of agriculture and urban development. In some areas, up to 80% of the original forests have been lost. For Audubon scientists, the threat to birds along the river due to environmental degradation is clear and urgent. Your support helps us to improve the ecological health of the Mississippi River. Audubon Minnesota is working with government entities, community organizations, universities, and volunteers to make major strides in restoring habitat. Audubon Minnesota planted more than 44,000 trees in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain, including more than 2,000 large potted trees. Our work is helping to implement the Upper Mississippi River Systemic Forest Stewardship Plan. The plan influences the management of 300,000 acres of floodplain forest to improve water quality and enhance habitat for birds and other wildlife. Floodplain forests are found along river and stream corridors that contain a diversity of plants that can survive repeated and extensive flooding. We are able restore important places for birds by planting native tree species such as Cottonwood, Silver Maple, and Swamp-white Oak and removing invasive plants like Reed Canary Grass. Through our work, we are also improving the effectiveness of floodplain forest restoration. Management of any floodplain is difficult at best, but we are addressing complex issues and advancing the science of restoration. With our partners, we are restoring river water levels and constructing projects that improve habitat and water quality. These projects will encourage growth of aquatic plants that are an important food source for migrating waterfowl and help to improve water quality. Audubon Minnesota also advocates for policy changes and provides support and technical assistance to partners that will result in the restoration of islands and backwaters that provide important bird habitat within the Upper Mississippi River. River restoration efforts benefit birds like Prothonotary Warblers, Cerulean Warblers, Red-shouldered Hawks, Bald Eagles, and many other species that rely on healthy river and wetland habitat to survive. Prothonoary Warbler 8 | AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT 2017 RIVER CONSERVATION OUTREACH Aveda’s 2017 Earth Month campaign generated tremendous support for Audubon Minnesota connects people of all ages to river Audubon Minnesota’s clean water conservation through education and on-the-ground work. The Aveda Corporation, conservation projects. Changing the hearts and minds of its employees, and the Aveda Minnesotans in order to protect and safeguard our water network, continually contribute their resources is an important component of our work. enthusiasm, time, and generous financial contributions to support Currently, 40% of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers do not meet clean water projects that benefit both basic water quality standards. If we hope to balance the birds and people. needs of birds, people, and economies, we must engage Minnesotans in implementing solutions to clean and protect our waterways. One third of Minnesotans are wildlife-watchers and by offering volunteer activities, we ensure that nature-lovers can engage in hands-on conservation. Our volunteers take part in opportunities that highlight the importance of river ecosystems with a special focus on birds. Community volunteers and AmeriCorps members play a big role in restoring floodplain forest along rivers and streams that pour into the Mississippi River. These dedicated individuals not only help to expand our capacity, but they also learn by doing. Volunteers learn how these restoration efforts can make a significant difference and through their experience, they leave more informed about how to improve water quality and bird habitat. In addition to volunteer trainings and events, we have also built relationships with elected officials by informing them about the need to increase habitat and reduce threats to This newly-planted tree seedling may not look like much, but it’s part of an birds. Read more on page 17, under Policy Informed by important floodplain forest next to the Science. Mississippi River. Floodplain forests provide important habitat for birds and flood protection for nearby towns and cities. These forests also help improve water quality by filtering excess pollutants and sediment from our water. 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 9 10 | AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT 2017 2017 AUDUBON MINNESOTA IMPACT REPORT | 11 PRAIRIE AND GRASSLAND CONSERVATION Audubon Minnesota’s work in grasslands and prairies improves water quality by protecting and restoring habitat. Even as birds face a host of challenges, our accomplishments ensure that Minnesota continues to be a stronghold